Netanyahu, however, accused Rouhani of one of history’s “greatest displays of doubletalk” and noted that Iran is the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism.
“Iran’s President Rouhani stood here last week, and shed crocodile tears over what he called ‘the globalization of terrorism.’ Maybe he should spare us those phony tears… and call off Iran’s global terror campaign,” said Netanyahu.
Comparing the Islamic State threat to a nuclear Iran, Netanyahu said that “it’s one thing to confront militant Islamists on pickup trucks, armed with Kalashnikov rifles. It’s another thing to confront militant Islamists armed with weapons of mass destruction.”
Netanyahu also took aim at Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who in his speech to the UN on Sept. 26 said Israel had committed “genocide” during this summer’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
Abbas accused Israel of committing “absolute war crimes carried out before the eyes and ears of the entire world” during Operation Protective Edge, and called on the UN to pass a resolution setting a deadline for Israeli withdrawal to pre-June 1967 lines.
Given the emergence of Islamic State, along with other terror threats such as those posed by the Muslim Brotherhood, its Palestinian offshoot Hamas, and al Qaeda, Netanyahu said Israel is turning to regional partners to help foster peace and combat extremism.
“To achieve that peace, we must not look only at Jerusalem and Ramallah, but also to Cairo, Amman, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and elsewhere,” he said.
“I believe peace can be realized with the active involvement of Arab countries – those who are willing to provide political, material, and other indispensable support.”
(JNS)